A committee reviewed 1,409 applications over the past month and recognized 548 as victims. Cumulative recognized cases since the law took effect stand at 39,669.

Concentrated among the young and low-income

The harm is concentrated in non-apartment housing and among young and lower-income renters. By housing type, multi-household units were most common at 29%, followed by officetels at 20.8% and multi-family homes at 18.3%. Young people just starting out keep losing deposits that amount to nearly all their savings.

Authorities are strengthening prevention alongside after-the-fact relief. Seoul and others offer a service that diagnoses fraud risk from an address alone, helping renters check landlord and property information before signing.

What remains

Experts say relief alone has limits and that renters need tighter access to information and institutional safeguards to screen risk at the contract stage. Breaking the structure of repeated harm is the key.

The Sinophone Bridge Times sees housing safety not as one group's problem but as that of every renter in Korea, Chinese-Korean renters included. Faithfully conveying practical prevention tips is our part.